There are many known containers for storing and dispensing food products, including microwavable bags for storing, cooking and dispensing popcorn. Examples of various bag designs used to cook popcorn in a microwave include: U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,220 issued Jan. 30, 1996 to Randall C. Freerks and Marvin A. Strouth, U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,844 issued Mar. 7, 1989 to Alan R. Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,777 issued Sep. 3, 1991 to Jeffrey T. Watkins and Lawrence C. Brandberg, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,576 issued Jul. 5, 1994 to John Zuege. These patents are incorporated by reference and include various materials, techniques and configurations currently known in the art and used in the construction of microwavable food bags.
Generally, the above-noted patents describe bags constructed from flat blanks. The blanks are folded into bags containing internally folded sets of panels ("gussets") and sealed ends, typically with one end sealed in a manner which allows easy opening and access to the food contents. Different bag configurations may include different types of folds, seals, and heat enhancers, in the form of susceptors, to help cook the food contents. The combination of folds, seals and optional heat enhancers typically allows for a more complete cooking of the contents (e.g., leaving fewer kernels unpopped).
One feature common to most of the above-mentioned bags is the inclusion of internally folded panels ("gussets"). The gussets fold inwardly, enabling a bag to be folded flat for storage and shipment, and then unfold when the food product inside the bag is cooked and the bag expands. These gusseted panels usually terminate in sealed ends which, in combination, define the structure of an expanded bag after the food has been cooked and gussets have unfolded. Another feature common to most existing microwavable popcorn bags is the use of a partial or weak seal on one end of a bag, allowing a user to open the bag easily once the product has completely cooked and the bag has fully expanded. Specifically, to open the bag the user grasps opposing corner flaps at the end of the bag and pulls the corner flaps apart to unseal an opening at the end of the bag.
When the user takes the bag out of the microwave, he or she typically turns the bag so that the partially sealed end is facing upward, and then pulls the opposing corner flaps away from each other to break the seal. A common problem with many currently known bag designs is that they fail to provide a clean and effective food delivery receptacle. After opening the bag, the user must either transfer the contents of the bag into another container or reach into the bag itself to obtain the contents. When the user reaches inside the bag to access the contents, he or she invariably touches the inside sides of the bag which are coated with the popping oil or lard type material used to cook the product. As a result, the user cannot use the bag as a delivery receptacle without covering his or her hands with grease. Furthermore, if the user tries to set the bag down on a flat surface, the bag invariably falls over and spills the popcorn. It is also important to note that these problems exist when bags known in the art are used as containers for other greasy food products, for example, potato chips. Until now, no effective solution has been provided to eliminate these problems.
Consequently, a need exists to provide an inexpensive and effective bag featuring a product access opening which allows clean and convenient access to a food product contained within.